Alcohol use is common among those under twenty-one years of age. Not only is it a contributing factor in many fatal car crashes, it is also associated with suicides, murders, drowning, and health problems, including alcohol poisoning, dependence, liver disease, and various cancers.

Drowning Bear, the principal chief of the Qualla Native Americans, petitioned the president to remain in North Carolina during the widespread Indian removal of 1808. Granted permission to remain east of the Mississippi, Drowning Bear organized his community and imposed regulations against unsavory activities.

Researchers at Carolina’s alcohol-studies center work to help remedy alcoholism, by searching for its causes and by developing new treatments and diagnostic methods. They found that alcoholism may be indicated by a preference for sweets, and the herbal remedy St. John’s Wort can reduce alcohol cravings.

The Center for Alcohol Studies at UNC was established to coordinate the various aspects of research being conducted on alcoholism. Some of their studies include research on the effects of alcohol on brain chemistry, the genetics of alcoholism, and alcohol metabolism.